Maddox booted

Can’t say I was hugely surprised to hear Wednesday that defensive back Dominick Maddox had been dismissed from the team for violating team rules.

(From what I’m hearing, that meant being late to and/or missing meetings, talking just a little bit too much and generally being difficult to deal with.)

After what seemed to be a strong start, he was phased out quickly and noticeably. The praise dried up, and the playing time followed.

I’ve seen a few message-board jokes about Coker finally wielding the hammer — he was criticized for, among other things, letting the players run amok at Miami — but if you think about it, there’s no reason not to lay down the law at this early juncture.

Indeed, what better time than now? This will change in the future. But right now, there isn’t a single one of these players that’s good enough to compromise your standards for.

Coaches who start programs talk about how great it is to set your own culture from the beginning, and this is an excellent example of that. The message is pretty clear: Toe the line, or you’ll be gone.

Unfortunately, a kid who was already in short supply of second and third chances lost his in the process.